WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today spoke with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu about the global effort to end the pandemic and help the economy recover. Ambassador Tai and Minister Motegi discussed the potential waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines as well as the need to increase production and distribution of vaccines and raw materials around the world. Ambassador Tai explained that the Biden-Harris administration will work multilaterally on this critical issue, including at the WTO, through COVAX and the G7, and she welcomed Minister Motegi’s views on ways to strengthen the global response. They agreed to regular sustained engagement on this and other important trade issues.
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